„Historic rivals” – Anglo-French relations in the late 19th century
„Historic rivals” – Anglo-French relations in the late 19th century

Summary/Abstract: In medieval and modern times there has been „something special” about Anglo-French relations. Sometimes they were called as „Europe's most influential love-hate relationship”, in other cases „the Anglo-French rivalry that shaped the World”. To some extent it has become something of a politico-historical myth that the two powers were born enemies to each other. In the „long 18th century” the two countries fought five larger wars with significant consequences. Cross-channel relations remained complex and complicated after the Napoleonic wars. There was co-operation from time to time, but diplomatic moves of the two sides led to a crisis and war seemed a strong possibility. The hostility and suspicion between Britain and France had not vanished even in times when there were benefits to siding with each other, like in the Crimean War or in the combined Anglo-French diplomatic and military efforts which enforced victory over China in 1857-58. Despite the alienating attitudes, consensus was achieved in major issues, especially after the military and political primacy France had enjoyed in continental Europe for more than two centuries shifted to Germany. The mutual benefits of the „overlooked entente” of the 1850s, of the free trade agreement of 1860 and the relative weakness of France after 1870, especially the „Is the War in Sight?”, state of affairs of permanent conflict with Germany, were all further motives for well-balanced relations between the two countries. This had drastically changed in 1882 when the British Government „reluctantly” interfered with force in Egypt and occupied it. This became a watershed in Anglo-French diplomacy and determinates substantially the relations for more than two decades. All this culminated in the Fashoda crisis bringing the two powers on the brink of war. It was still a long way to go for both governments until a „compréhension diplomatique” was achieved in 1904 with the L’Entente cordiale.

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